ds of books and papers and the Bible and every
thing."

"I can learn THEM, I's sure I can," said Tidy. "Le's begin now."

"Well, you see that first one,--that's A. You see how it's made,--two
lines go right up to a point, and then a straight one across. Now say,
what is it?"

"A."

"Yes; and now the next one,--that's B. There's a straight line down and
two curves on the front. What's that?"

"B."

"Now you must remember those two,--I sha'n't tell you any more this
morning, and I shall make you do just as Miss Agnes used to make me.
Miss Agnes was our governess at home before we came here to school. She
made me take a newspaper,--see, here's a piece,--and prick the letters
on it with a pin. Now you take this piece of paper, and prick every A
and every B that you can find on it, and to-morrow I'll show you some
more."

Just then the bell sounded from the schoolhouse, and Amelia and Susan
went to their duties, but not with half so glad a heart as Tidy set
herself to hers. Down she squatted on the rock, and did not leave
the place till her first task was successfully accomplished, and the
precious piece of perforated paper safely stowed away for Amelia's
inspection.

Day after day this process was repeated, until all the letters great and
small had been learned; and now for the more difficult work of putting
them together. There seemed to be but one step between Tidy and perfect
happiness. If she could only have a hymn-book and know how to read it,
she would ask nothing more. She didn't care so much about the Bible. If
she had known, as you do, children, that it is God's word, no doubt she
would have been anxious to learn what it contained. But this truth she
had never heard, and therefore all her desires were centered in the
hymn-book, in which were stored so many of those precious and beautiful
hymns which she loved so much to hear Uncle Simon repeat and sing. Would
she ever be so happy as to be able to sing them from her own book?

CHAPTER X. LONY'S PETITION.

BUT, ah! this is a world of disappointment, and it almost always happens
that if we attain any real good, we have to toil for it. Tidy's path was
not to continue as smooth and pleasant as it had been.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee, by some untoward accident, found out what was going
on, and at once expounded the law and the necessities of the case to
their children, forbidding them in the most peremptory manner, and on
penalty of the severest chastisement, e